An Oath to the Valkyries
by Hapless-Ace
Summary: Medieval inspired AU. There are customs each individual warrior is brought to believe, and they carry those customs with them to the battlefield. Many customs vary deeply, but soon return to their homelands with the warrior. For one young lord of House Arc that isn't the case now, or ever again. Nora's Arc.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings, and welcome to my latest story. Now I know you're woncderinh where the inspiration for this came from, well to put it simply I was watching a playthrough of 'For Honor', and thought huh what if a knight came across a shieldmaiden. Naturally my thoughts drifted to RWBY, so we now have a new Nora's Arc fic.**

 **I also shared this prompt idea with my friend TheNiemand, who made his own version called 'Honor Bound'. Go check it out, and tell him Troll sent you. Now onto the fic, please remember to subscribe and leave a review.**

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The battlefield was currently singing with the sound of steel on steel, as two opposing factions had been caught in a deadlock that had lasted what felt like three fortnights. The holy order of knights, little more than green boys and girls led by veteran commanders with a young Captain leading their charge, and a warring tribe of Vikings led by a champion shieldmaiden that many called a Valkyrie come from Valhalla to give them victory. The two opposing factions had been in a bloody conflict for the lands that their very captain was the heir to hold.

The conflict had begun when the lord apparent, Jacques Schnee, started to use the the younger lord's lands as a means of trading along his merchant routes. The Viking tribes along the border did not take long raiding and pillaging the resources made apparent by the Schnee Trading Company. Lord Jacques had called for the young lord to raise his ageing father's banners, and ride to stop the 'savages' as he called them; by calling in his right to protection of their lucrative trade deal, and familiar right as the lord Schnee's young son had been betrothed to one of the young lord's sister.

The young lord in question had been Jaune Arc, the first born son of House Arc. He had been named the heir at his christening to their faith, squire to the 'Drunken Bandit Knight' Qrow Branwen, knighted in 'The War of the Twelve Grimm lords', and made lord apparent in his ailing father's stead while he recovers from a fever. He had called the banners of his vassal houses, and any other able bodied fighter to come to his aide.

During the beginning of the conflict there had been heavy casualties on both sides of the battle. The knights lost many veterans, several squires, and farmer's children who had been drafted to the conflict. The young Arc lord could only internalize each death to appease his sister's soon to be good father. He remembered his mentor's words during the first few days of the conflict; that many of their homelands were now calling this battle 'The Arc Crusades', a name he detested since he took no pleasure in many dying for his family name.

The edict he gave after the first major battle was a simple one "For every one of our's that has fallen, we shall send three of their's to hell!" Words that he knew would reach the craven good father of his sister.

On what would be the final day of the 'crusade' Jaune Arc, Captain of the knights, had been in his tenth drafting a letter to his father, his armor was dirty and scarred showing the conflict had not truly been kind to him. Jaune had received word that his father had recovered from his fever, and that sister would be wed once he returned from war. Jaune let out a weary sigh before standing at attention as the sound of footsteps shook him from his musing.

"Captain!" A young man not to far in age with Jaune, more than likely a squire who had been recently knighted, saluted his Captain.

"At ease, what news do you bring my friend?" Jaune's hand rested on his family's ancestral sword at his belt.

"The barbarians leader has challenged you to single combat. She wants an end to the conflict now, and believes the two of you must meet on the field to end this campaign." The young knight told his fellow brother in arms. "Right now Commander Branwen has a battalion awaiting at the designated neutral zone, they await your presence.

Jaune sighed and said a silent prayer on the symbol of his order. He looked to his fellow knight, and nodded. "Ride with me Mercury, we will meet this 'Valkyrie' as her people call her with honor, and dignity."

Mercury nodded and followed Jaune to the camp's warhorses, and followed him with a retainer of the few veteran knights, freshly made knights, and squires that made up their company. Awaiting them on the other end of the field amongst the corpses, arms, and damaged lands that made up the battlefield, stood a group of 'savages' adorned in armor, furs, and varying weapons that made a large contrast to the riding knights.

A young squire soon stepped forth, he had been a simple farm boy just a couple weeks ago now he stood as Captain-Commander Arc's personal squire. "Presenting Captain-Commander, Lord Jaune Arc, heir to the holdings of the lands of Ansel and future Warden of the East."

One of the Vikings laughed at the boy presenting before stepping forth "Pretty words boy, you all stand in the glory and presence of Nora the Valkyrie." The large man said presenting a short woman with ginger hair holding a hammer easily bigger than her. "Granddaughter of the great Jarl Reinhardt!" At the mention of their Jarl many of the Vikings began to cheer and roar out in pride.

Jaune stepped down from his horse, and approached the girl who watched him with a murderous grin. He tried to keep his composure, but internally he had been intimidated. This woman had led the charge against his forces, he'd heard rumors that she flattened men easily twice her size with her hammer into a fine redpaste; he shuddered internally not wanting to know just how true this was.

"You are Nora?" Jaune asked as he stopped face to face with the girl, he had been forced to stare down at her since he quite easily towered over her.

"Aye, so you're this pretty boy Captain-Commander everyone keeps talking about. I must say you lasted longer than I thought, but no longer!" She raised her hammer causing her forces to cheer, while Jaune's own forces rested their hands on their swords. This had been a challenge to single combat, but they didn't want any risk to their leader's life.

"Yes, I accept your terms of surrender now." Jaune smirked earning a nod of approval from Qrow. Though this only caused Nora to glare at him. "Your tribe has caused massive misfortune to the lands. It's time we end this."

"Couldn't agree more. My terms are simple, upon your death in our round of single combat, your forces will withdraw. I'm not without mercy, they'll have half a day to leave before being hunted down." Nora's smirk returned as she was ready to end the conflict.

"Fine, but my terms are simple as well. Leave these lands and go back to your own holdings. We just want peace now, nothing more, nothing less." Jaune kept a calm visage, but if he hadn't been trying to save face he'd be shaking at how confident and ready for battle Nora had been.

A circle had soon been made around the two, with each of them standing 15 paces from the center. Jaune has his sword and shield drawn, while Nora simple had her hammer ready. Nora grinned before finally speaking "Its is by my challenge, by the ancient laws of combat, that we shall face one another one on one to end this long battle for these lands!"

Jaune not missing a beat responded "By the ancient laws of combat, I accept your challenge to end this conflict. May this battle end in surrender, or death!"

"May the strength of Valhalla course through my hammer!" Nora stood in her stance ready to fight.

"May the holy lord let by blade swing righteous, and true!" Jaune charged, Nora would follow in his example charging at him. Nora swung her hammer with ease, only for Jaune to catch it on his shield and countered with his sword.

The battle would follow blow for blow, each one getting a leg up on the other only for their opponent to counter. Jaune sadly would make one misstep, and lose his shield in their fight. Nora saw the opening to end the fight then and there; charging forth to ring the young lord's head in. Jaune saw her coming and tried to raise his sword in hopes to stop the hit, only to find himself tripping over a gopher hole he hadn't noticed.

Jaune couldn't help but feel fine slow down as he got lost in his thoughts 'This is it….I'm gonna die because I tripped over a gopher hole. Well shit…' though his thoughts were interrupted as he landed on top of something. He had somehow tackled Nora to the ground with her hammer flying away from them as his 'surprise attack' caused her to lose her grip. 'Ok just go with it Arc.

Jaune quickly stood up, grabbing his sword that lay beside them, and putting it to Nora's neck; much to the shock of the gathered Vikings. "Surrender now, I offer you mercy as you have been bested!" He saw Nora blushing, he figured she was started to go red with anger that he didn't just end her. 'Please just accept surrender, pride isn't worth dying over.' Jaune thought to himself.

Nora nodded "I surrender, you have bested me in single combat!" She yelled out for all gathered to hear, her own men gave our audible groans. They wanted to egg her ok to continuing, but she swore on the ancient laws of combat and no one dared anger the Gods by breaking the sworn rules. "My forces shall return home post haste…"

Jaune nodded and stepped back and soon had an arm around his shoulder; he saw it was his mentor Qrow. "Looks like you did it kid. That wind bag of a lord apparent Schnee owes you big time." The older knight chuckled

"Yeah, he does. I'm just happy to finally go home." Jaune chuckled as Nora stood up.

"Yes I'm eager to see our new home." Nora said dusting herself off.

This caused Jaune and Qrow to stop, and look at Nora. "What do you mean our new home?" Jaune asked her surprised she would be so bold as to say this, she lost the single combat. Why would she call his home her's?

"You bested me in combat, and spared my life. By custom of beating a shieldmaiden and giving her mercy, I am now your wife before the eyes of the gods. I promise to bring you honor and many children husband." To prove she was true she embraced Jaune and pulled him into a kiss.

Jaune couldn't respond to the kiss as his eyes were wide open in shock. He looked to his mentor, and Qrow just looked at him before laughing. "Hahahaha! Kid I gotta say you lucked out." Qrow was amused at his former squire's predicament.

Jaune just gasped after Nora pulled away from their kiss. He just stared at his new wife, still unable to believe what he had been told. "You're serious?"

"A shieldmaiden does not joke upon her virtues as a warrior. Now let us ride off, I'm eager to meet my new family." Nora took his hand as they walked back to his still shocked men, and Jaune for the most part began to wonder if his lord had a wicked sense of humor….


	2. Chapter 2

"So husband, what are your holdings and the like?" Nora asked Jaune as they rode ahead of the litany of knights, squires, camp followers, and retainers. They'd also been joined by half of Nora's kinsmen who'd rode back with them to serve on behalf of her grandfather Jarl Reinhardt, the other half rode back to inform the Jarl of his granddaughter's nuptials. She'd insisted on riding alongside him on her own stallion, no one bothered to argue since she kept claiming herself the new lady Arc.

Jaune looked to her with a raised brow, they'd barely been into the day's ride back to his family's castle and she wanted to know his holdings. This Viking woman just kept finding stranger ways to confound him. "Well we're the high lords of the Westlands, and make most of our incomes from owning successful breweries, and distilleries. I know some of our small folk raise a lot animals, and such."

"Hmmmm I see, well hopefully I'll do good on learning all the accounts, and the figures of our hall." Nora had a thoughtful look upon her face. Jaune had to admit it was a little endearing...when he forgot the fact that she's been the death of several men who served under him.

"Lord Arc, one of our scouts has returned from riding ahead." One of Jaune's men, Nolan if he recalled the freshly made knight's name correctly.

"What is it?! What do they have to report?!" Nora answered quickly as she was already reaching for her hammer, ready to attack whoever dared ruin her day to meet her good family.

"Nothing bad my um, lady Arc. The scouts report the sigil of Lord Arc's eldest sister, and her own legion a ride ahead. It seems our Raven reporting the end of the conflict met her camp near the lord's family home. She rides to meet us, and to congratulate your victory my lord." Nolan reported quickly as his eyes stayed on Nora's hand gripping the war hammer that had slain scores of their men.

"Nolan, did the Raven mention exactly how I won the campaign?" Jaune asked the newly made knight.

"Well of course my lord, your battle and defeat of the new Lady of house Arc should be shared." Nolan told Jaune with the enthusiasm only a knight who had been recently promoted could bring.

Jaune sighed knowing that this meeting was going to be a painful one for him, but he rode forward with his riding party to meet his sister. He had to make sure Nora didn't ride to far ahead of him, she was still dressed like a Shield Maiden ready for battle, and he didn't want to frighten his sister so quickly.

"Jaune! Why did I intercept a raven saying that you're bethroted?!" An older blonde woman in full plate armor yelled at Jaune; she was Saphron Arc, first born child of Lord and Lady Jonathan and Joanna Arc, Lady of the Sunfort.

"Um yes, apparently I'm married now Saphron." The blonde man said rubbing the back of his head.

"Jaune how?! You were on a holy crusade, how did you end up married to...I'm sorry what's your name." Saphron asked the ginger woman.

"My name is Nora the great Valkyrie of Thruømär. Slayer of Ulfric the Usurper, and maiden of the hammer! Your brother bested me in single combat, and didn't take my life. By rights he's now my husband." Nora nuzzles Jaune a little "Do not worry I plan to have your brother's seed by nightfall so that it may quicken inside me to be a powerful son of his family lineage."

"Jaune you have so much to explain once we get back to Arcadia..." Saphron groaned rubbing her palm against her forehead.

"Yes I know, especially since mother won't be pleased." Jaune sighed now knowing the full weight that befell him as he realized what might become of him. He'd been so focused on returning home that the reactions of his family didn't dare cross his mind.

"That and the Schnees rode for our family lands days ago, they more than likely would have arrived by now." Saphron sighed, already not in the mood to deal with the Lords and Ladies of House Schnee.

"Well then let us meet these Schnees! I'm sure they will celebrate our joyous marriage!" Nora roared with the intensity of a commander ready to lead their troops into battle.

Saphron looked to Jaune before raising her brow to him, and Jaune just shrugged in response. "She's easily excited."

"Well I hope she keeps this same enthusiasm when she encounters Lord Jacques." Saphron told her younger brother before signaling her company to pack up camp, and ride back for Arcadia at once.

Jaune's already impressive host had nearly doubled on the ride back to Arcadia, and the welcoming party had been met with surprise to see their young lord arrive with an impressive host of his men that rode home with him, his new wife's kinsmen, and his sister's own forces. The entire courtyard bowed before him, all but fourteen people; his father, mother, sisters, the wife of his oldest sister Saphron, and the Schnee family.

Jaune wasted no time dismounting from his horse, and approached his father, and his father stepped forward to meet him in front of everyone. Both men stared at one another before laughing, and embracing before all.

"My son! You are finally home!" Jonathan Arc laughed, he'd surprised Jaune since the last he'd seen the older man, he'd been weak with the fever. Now his father was again the robust man that Jaune had known all his life.

"It's good to be home father." Jaune told his father as he kept his arms wrapped around the older man before breaking their embrace.

While Jaune had been embraced with his father, Nora has taken it upon herself to walk forward to introduce herself to the older man. "It's very great to meet you father!" She said shocking everyone there.

"F-father?" Jonathan asked as she looked to Nora in shock, the older man began to worry that she might have been a bastard he'd laid upon some random woman. She looked to close in age to Jaune for that to be true since he always remained faithful to his wife.

Lady Joanna looked livid at what she'd heard, while she vowed she would love any child of her husband's she'd never forgive him for conceiving a child outside of their marital vows. Luckily for her husband she'd chosen now to bring her longsword to their son's reunion. "Jonathan...is there something you wish to tell me?" She asked with the cold fury of a military commander ready to give an order to kill.

"My love, I've never laid with a woman outside of our marital vows." The old lord of Arcadia said as he'd turned to see the look his wife was giving him.

"Mother, father has been faithful to you. Nora here is um, well you see…." Jaune was trying to find the right words to tell his mother about their situation.

"I'm his wife! He bested me in single combat, and chose to show me mercy. As is custom I'm his wife." Nora said offended that her new good mother would accuse her of incest.

This had come as a shock to everyone who had been gathered, and Joanna's harsh gaze soon fell upon her only son. "Jaune...what did she just say?"

"It's a long story mother." Jaune hung his head, while his sisters minus Saphron had descended upon Nora to question her. Lord Jacques Schnee meanwhile looked on in annoyance, as this development put s wrinkle in his plans towards bonding the Arc and Schnee houses.

Sensing that tensions were getting all the more strenuous Lord Jonathan had called for a dismissal of those gathered in the courtyard, and that his wife, children, and Nora were to gather with him in his solar so they could discuss things further. Lord Jacques tried to inject himself into the discussion, but was quickly rejected as this concerned the immediate members of House Arc.

"I'm sorry Jacques, but this concerned those directly related to our house, I'm sure you understand my friend." The older great lord said before turning to go to his Solar with his family, after telling the servants to continue preparing the feast, and to entertain the guests.

"Yes of course Jonathan." Jacques had kept an even gone, but was not pleased that his machinations had the unwanted variable of meeting he wasn't privy to.

When everyone who'd been invited had gathered within the old Lord's solar, they were greeted to the old lord at his desk. Everyone who had known Jonathan Arc knew that once he was seated at his desk with a problem on his shoulders, then everything was business, and would be handled promptly. The problem was Nora had not known her new good father for less than an hour.

"So father, I'm sure we are to discuss the wedding preparations. I was thinking for the sacrifice to the gods we make it a badger, cow, and wild boar." Nora began rambling, much to the confusion of everyone there. Did her people really sacrifice animals during their weddings, how peculiar.

"There will be time to talk about your eventual wedding to my son, for now I wish to learn how your union came to be." Jonathan held up his hand before Jaune could even open his mouth. "From your perspective, Nora was it?"

"Yes I am Nora, granddaughter of the great Jarl Reinhardt! The day I met my beloved on the field was clearly a day destined by the gods themselves! I'd allowed one of the pitiful men, who dishonored my future husband's host, to live and report to him where he challenged me to single combat. Our battle was one for the ages, and when he bested me I knew in my heart I'd met the man I would wed, and give him many strong sons, and daughters!"

Jonathan looked from Nora to Jaune with a raised brow. He'd given his only son a look that Jaune knew all too well, it was the look his father gave to anyone to truly explain themselves. The look that, in the past, has led to many a lord either agreeing with his father, or signing their own doom.

"We were at a stalemate father, when I was told Nora wanted to meet me personally on the field I knew that could only mean single combat. We faced one another, and I'd bested her after disarming her." Jaune deliberately left out the part about the gopher hole because that didn't need to be know, ever….

"Mhm, and Nora I take it by custom since he spared your life that's as good as a marriage proposal?" Jonathan asked

"Indeed father! Many men have tried to beat me, but only one has ever done so! When Jaune bested me in single combat I knew this was a message from the gods that I'd found my beloved! When he didn't lop off my head with his mighty sword, I knew it was true love!" Nora exclaimed talking about her life being spared as if it were some grand romantic gesture.

Jonathan raised a brow before he'd spoken again. "I also take it your family has been informed of such as well?" He asked Nora

"Yes! I sent word to my grandfather, Jarl Reinhardt, that I was to wed! Soon he and my grandmother will be here with the rest of our people for Jaune, and mine's wedding!" Nora hadn't lost any of her bombastic energy.

That little detail held Jonathan's attention. A company of Vikings were apparently riding for his family's castle, and they were expecting a wedding. This did not bode well for him.

"How long until they reach here?" Jonathan asked Nora.

Nora seemed to adopt a serious look, and began to ponder as she calculated the time it would take for her riders to go to her grandfather's village, and the time to ride here. She stopped her pondering once she realized everything. "Within less than a fortnight if he's mobilized immediately."

Jonathan nodded along before took a more relaxed position in his seat, Jaune knew his father was done listening now. "Very well then." He'd rung a bell that was on his desk to summon his steward who'd been standing sentinel outside his solar's main office.

Within an instant his steward entered the room and stood before the family. "Yes sir lord Arc?"

"Inform the castle there is to be a feast prepared in less than a fortnight's time, it will have to be a massive affair. I want boars, chickens, deer, cows, trouts, salmon, and lambs raised and prepared for slaughter." Jonathan told the man.

"What for my lord?" The steward asked his liege lord curious to what was so important that this many animals were to be slaughtered for a feast.

"My son's engagement announcement deserves to be a grand affair." Jonathan smirked a little at Jaune's bewilderment. He knew this affair couldn't be brushed aside, and he didn't want a war with a Viking tribe do close to his family home over the folly of slighting their leader's granddaughter.

Jaune was rendered speechless while Nora just leapt into him before bringing him into a back shattering hug. "Oh husband we will have a wonderful engagement feast only the gods will have known the likes of!"

Jaune looked at his father, who'd only nodded to him to confirm this was happening. Jaune wasn't currently betrothed to anyone, and his father must have seen the opportunity in this somewhere. He just wished he saw what his father did….


End file.
